Max Martin

The millennial heir to Sweden's tradition of frothy, incessantly catchy pop, Max Martin wasn't an international star like ABBA, Roxette, or Ace of Base. But as a songwriter and producer, Martin spearheaded the late-'90s teen pop revival by crafting a ubiquitous string of worldwide hits for Britney Spears, *NSYNC, and The Backstreet Boys, among many others. Martin was born Martin Sandberg on February 26, 1971, and grew up in the suburbs of Stockholm; as a teenager, he sang in several bands before forming a glam-style metal band called It's Alive with his friends.